


No More Regrets

by confessorlove



Category: Primeval: New World
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-12-04 20:31:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/confessorlove/pseuds/confessorlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After spending time with both Dylan and Ange, Evan realizes that he might have made a huge mistake.  It’s time for him to really look at his feelings for both women.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Regrets

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know where this came from but okay you can have it. It was kinda a character study thing to help me better understand Evan’s reasoning for picking Ange when he is so obviously into Dylan but it spiraled out of control. Heavily inspired by 1x07 and set following it. To think I just wanted a short drabble dealing with Evan’s thoughts on that ~look~ they shared at the end of the episode. Oops.

When Dylan told him to live everyday like it was his last, Evan thought he knew what he had to do. That very night when they got back to the office he took off his ring and set it on the desk near the picture of Brooke that was his ever constant reminder of what he’d lost. The moment the little silver band left his finger, Evan felt as though a weight had been lifted. Now he knew what he had to do and he needed to do it quickly before the chance slipped through his fingers. Ange was leaving and he knew that the company wouldn’t survive without her. Even more than that he knew that she kept him grounded, she was the one who helped bring him back from the brink of losing himself to an obsession. Evan couldn’t lose her now after everything they’d been through together. He’d known Ange for his entire life and losing her over something so trivial seemed almost sad. More than anything else that drove him to take the plunge.

Showing up at her office with wontons hadn’t been his original plan but he found himself there anyway. If he didn’t do something she’d be gone and Evan couldn’t hand that. Ange had always been there as his support and his other half. He loved that about her. When they ate together and discussed her options and their relationship, Evan felt good about it. He was finally putting his past behind him and that was a huge step. The chapter of his life where Brooke was the focus was finally closed. Evan was glad about that even though it left a hint of sadness in the wake of its path. They’d been friends for as long as he could remember and they owed it to themselves to see if they could maybe, just maybe, be something more than friends.

However the longer things went on with Ange, the more Evan seemed unsure of his feelings. He thought it was just nerves about getting back in the dating game but something wasn’t right about it. Unfortunately he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what that was. They were trying something new but Evan didn’t know if he wanted it. He didn’t really know where his feelings lied. Ange tried to convince him that nothing had changed but he could see it already, everything had changed between them. She was there, tagging along and trying to be more involved. Even though Evan was glad she seemed to be trying to understand the anomalies more he knew that wasn’t the reason she was trying. He’d blown her off in favor of the anomaly and a quick kiss wasn’t enough to satisfy her.

Ange could easily get hurt out in the woods when they were looking for the dinosaurs so when she came along with he and Dylan, Evan was less than thrilled. He knew she could handle herself as he’d been the practice sparring partner she’d used in the past for her Taekwondo practice, but you couldn’t exactly use martial arts on a prehistoric creature. Ange didn’t belong out in the field like that. She couldn’t fire a gun and he couldn’t constantly be watching her back. If something happened to her then he would have been beside himself. It had happened once and Evan couldn’t bear the thought of history repeating. Brooke was gone but Ange was there, he needed her to stay there. That was why he took this leap to begin with.

Tromping through the woods with Dylan and Ange, Evan could feel the tension between the two and understood it. Dylan knew Ange didn’t belong in the woods and was casually making her opinions known quite frequently. Luckily for him most of her comments were flying beneath Ange’s radar. There would have been trouble if they hadn’t and that was the last thing they needed. They already had dinosaurs to deal with and didn’t need more trouble than that. Almost as if it knew that they were distracted, the dinosaur attacked Ange and his heart leapt into his throat. For a few moments he feared it would be his past all over again. He’d told her to stay in the car and she didn’t listen. This would be all his fault. It was luck but Evan pulled Ange away just as Dylan shot the attacking dinosaur. She was safe but this was not a place for Ange.

When Dylan hurt herself Evan realized how worried he was for her. Seeing her tumble backwards down the incline was terrifying, almost as much as seeing the dinosaur attempt to eat Ange. In that moment he realized that he couldn’t lose either of them. Rushing to Dylan’s side he cared for her and set her dislocated shoulder before they continued on with their job. The anomaly wouldn’t be open forever and they still had things to do.

As they walked towards the anomaly after abandoning the tranquillized dinosaur, Evan glanced over at Dylan and sighed. Seeing her nursing her arm made his gut twist in an awkward way. It was his fault she’d been hurt because he was arguing with Ange. His relationship with Ange was getting in the way of the job and putting people in danger. That was the absolute last thing that Evan wanted. Their team had already lost enough people and he wouldn’t let anyone else get hurt when he had something that could be done to prevent it. Ange seemed to know that she was out of her element and that was a wonderful sign. Evan hoped that meant she would stay out of the field from now on. It was the only way she could truly be safe.

Once he told Mac what to do, Evan glanced over at the anomaly and sighed. These things had been his goal for six years and yet now that he’d found them, he still wasn’t completely happy. He had Ange now. She wasn’t leaving to go with a different company and a better offer. That was a relief but still something was missing. They were trying something new and he didn’t know if that was what he really wanted. As Mac, Toby and Nat ran off the bridge and back towards civilization, Ange spoke. “We pay them for this?”

Evan nodded and tried to laugh. It was a lighthearted comment and he knew that she was joking but somehow he found it hard to keep the smile on his face after everything that day had brought them. “Not very well if that is any consolation.”

As he spoke, Evan noticed Dylan out of the corner of his eye while Ange stood there transfixed by the anomaly. Her strawberry blonde hair swished out of his eyesight and he turned his head to look back over his shoulder. It was natural, instinct and Evan hadn’t been expecting Dylan to be watching him but she was. What he saw on her face made him question what he was even doing there. Sadness and just a hint of jealousy was obvious on her features and Evan’s gut twisted as if some unknown force had stabbed him with a knife. It was becoming more and more obvious that he’d made the wrong choice. If he wasn’t careful Dylan would be the one walking out of his life forever. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Evan was jarred from his thoughts by Ange’s voice and he tried to put on a smile while gazing down into the eyes of the woman he choose because he felt it was the right move to make. Unfortunately every moment since he made his choice had just felt wrong like the universe was trying to tell him this was the wrong place for him to be. Lightly Evan settled his hand back on the small of Ange’s back before looking over at the anomaly. “Beautiful but deadly,” he replied while dwelling on all the people who had been hurt or killed because of these anomalies. It wasn’t fair to anyone. Brooke, Drake, Sam and all the other people who had been hurt or killed served as a reminder that every single day could be his last. He just needed to find a way to make everything work.

With that Ange turned to face him before kissing him softly. “I’ll see you back at the office,” she said as he watched her start out of the woods and after Mac so she could call Ken about the anomaly. Evan wasn’t too pleased with the whole idea but they couldn’t watch over it constantly. They were a small team and didn’t have the man power they needed. Luckily it didn’t take Ken as long as Evan thought it would to get there once Ange apparently made the call and soon enough he was back on his way to the office.

The entire ride home Evan’s mind had been filled with a whirlwind of emotion and confusion. Ange was already changing into someone else and he didn’t like that. Their relationship was putting a strain on their friendship and it was the absolute last thing that he wanted. They had agreed to try things and they weren’t working for Evan. There were too many other factors, or at least that was how he tried to rationalize it. The truth of the matter was that he only had one other factor on his mind: Dylan. As he passed the Chinese food restaurant that had become their tradition for late nights and every other time they were together at the office, Evan knew exactly what he needed to do. Even though they agreed they were just trying things out he was still worried it would all fall apart. After stopping quickly at the restaurant, Evan continued on to Cross Photonics, his mind spinning and attempting to plan what he would say the entire drive over. 

Once he arrived grabbed the brown bag off the passenger’s seat and headed into the large building, delicious smelling food in hand. Passing by Ange’s glass walled office, Evan poked his head in the door to see her bent over the paperwork set in neat piles on her desk. “Ange?”

She looked up quickly then and a soft smile formed on her face. “Perfect timing, Evan.” He didn’t know what could possibly have made his timing perfect but that didn’t matter. All that really mattered was the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overtake him. Maybe he’d been wrong and moved on too soon. Those doubts were constantly there in the front of his mind but then he would remember Dylan and how scared he was when she fell down that hill or how his gut twisted like a red-hot knife in his belly when he saw the vague look of sadness upon her features. It didn’t take more than that to push the thoughts away.

“Perfect timing?” Evan didn’t know how that happened but he shrugged it off and entered her office, shutting the door behind him. “We need to talk. I brought potstickers,” he said as he stepped inside the office and raised the brown bag in his hand.

Much to his surprise, Ange nodded as he took a seat across from her desk in much the same spot he’d sat while they shared wontons just a few days previously. Good news and bad news were almost the mirror of each other and he couldn’t quite believe it. “Potstickers? You’re right, we really do.” They both knew the code for good and bad news, Evan could see it on her face but he also saw understanding there as he set the brown bag on the table and pulled out the carton of potstickers as well as two pairs of chopsticks. 

In much the way he’d seen her do with everyone from employees to friends, Ange rested her elbows on her desk and interlaced her fingers before leaning towards him slightly and continuing. “We agreed that we were going to try something new and I wanted that,” she said with a soft sigh while holding his gaze. Already Evan had a feeling he knew where this was going and he didn’t know how he felt about it. “But when we agreed I think we both miscalculated how much your feelings for Dylan were going to impact this.” He offered her a pair of chopsticks and she took them before snagging the carton from him and plucking a potsticker from the box.

For a brief moment Evan just sat there as though he’d been hit in the head with a frying pan. The shock and surprise of Ange’s comment left him stunned for a moment and he could barely explain why. Of course his feelings for Dylan were why he was there but it stunned him to realize that Ange had noticed them. It wasn’t something he thought that she would notice. Finally after a few moments, Evan let out a slightly awkward and nervous chuckle before turning his attention towards Ange. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Ange. This whole trying our relationship out thing just isn’t working.”

She glanced over at him and tilted her head slightly. “So that’s why you brought the potstickers?” When Evan nodded she continued. “I’m glad you realized this on your own,” she said before pointing at him with her chopsticks. “It seems like you are finally moving on from Brooke and I’m glad about that. I was just the wrong choice.”

Evan reached for the little box of potstickers before taking one for himself. Slowly he chewed it while thinking over everything Ange had said. She was right that his feelings for Dylan were getting in the way of their relationship and she was right that he was ready to move on. Ange just wasn’t the woman he needed to move on to. “That’s why I brought them,” he finally replied after swallowing. “I thought this called for our traditional bad news treat.”

“It’s not really bad news,” Ange protested while looking him in the eyes. “I mean we were just trying things. There were no guarantees and we both knew that going in.” She smiled softly and suddenly Evan felt a little bit better about this whole situation. Ange had that ability to make him feel better about things like this and she had since they were kids. He was just grateful that it didn’t seem likely to change now. “It’s a good sign that you are finally able to try and move beyond Brooke and stop dwelling on the past. Everything else will come with time if you are patient.”

Nodding slightly, a smile formed on Evan’s lips. “You’re right,” he admitted before reaching out and lightly squeezing her hand. “Thank you, Ange.” She was his friend and that was exactly what he needed right now. Luckily they were always there for each other no matter the situation so their time together wouldn’t be awkward.

Ange shook her head and smiled reassuringly at him. “You don’t need to thank me, Evan. You just needed a little guidance and that’s what I’m here for, right?”

“Exactly. I’m glad that at least that hasn’t changed,” he replied with a smile before reaching for another potsticker with his chopsticks. So long as things could be normal between them, then Evan was certain everything would turn out alright.

With his choice made, Evan spent a few days after his discussion with Ange, trying to figure out how best to get a feel for the feelings he had. Dylan had been off for a few days because her shoulder was still giving her a little trouble and that gave him a chance to figure out exactly what he wanted before talking to her. Deep down he was terrified that Dylan would be upset that he hadn’t known this or even that she didn’t care about him like that. However, whenever he thought about those things, Evan could close his eyes and easily picture the sadness and jealousy on her face as she left him and Ange on that bridge. That was all the proof he really needed.

She was back at work now, sooner than he thought she would have been, but that was part of who she was. Dylan didn’t seem like someone who let things get her down and Evan was impressed by that. In fact he was impressed by a lot of things she did. Those things just couldn’t be his focus. After spotting her though the glass walls of his office, Evan walked towards her and leaned on the doorframe while watching her at her desk. It was now or never and he knew that Ange wouldn’t let him chicken out now. Besides, he really did care about Dylan a lot. That was something he knew for certain after having a short time to objectively look at his relationships. He felt for Dylan in ways he had never felt for Ange. It was time for him to finally make that choice.

As if she almost knew that he was there watching her, Dylan lifted her gaze and met his eyes with a smile. “Hey Evan,” she said politely before glancing back at her computer screen briefly. “Did you need something?”

He shook his head and continued watching her with idle curiosity. Taking the risk with Ange had been one thing because they’d known each other forever. Dylan was completely different and he didn’t know how she would react to anything. “Can we talk?”

Slowly a slight smile formed on Dylan’s face and she nodded. “Yeah we can talk, Evan. What is it?” 

Evan could tell that she was a little hesitant and he didn’t really like that. Slipping into her office, Evan shut the door behind him and walked over towards her desk. “How’s your shoulder?” He’d been worried about it ever since she hurt it but he knew that Dylan was tough. She could handle herself even though he had felt bad and worried.

“It’s feeling a little better,” Dylan replied before turning her attention on him. “A few pain pills do wonders.”

That didn’t surprise Evan and he nodded before looking down at Dylan from his place beside her desk. “That’s good. I’m glad things are doing better.” Biting the inside of his cheek, Evan shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other while watching her. He wanted to talk to her and tell her that he’d made a mistake by choosing Ange but the words seemed to merely die on his tongue. Getting his point across was next to impossible. Tilting his head to the side he took a breath and tried to clear his mind while gathering his courage. “Do you remember when you told me that not everything waits for tomorrow?” When Dylan nodded he continued, sounding slightly less nervous now. “Well I listened but I made a mistake.”

He could almost sense the way something about her changed the moment the words left his mouth and Evan couldn’t help but wonder what it meant. There was nothing he wouldn’t have given to know exactly what was spinning through her mind in that exact moment. “What do you mean you made a mistake?” There was a hint of hope in her tone as she looked up into his eyes and Evan hoped that it was a good sign. If everything fell apart now after finally being ready to move on, Evan wouldn’t have known what to do with himself.

Evan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before looking down into Dylan’s eyes sincerely. “Choosing Ange was a mistake, Dylan. I felt like I owed it to us to give it a chance but it didn’t take long for me to realize she isn’t who I want.” Letting her know what he was feeling felt like taking a giant risk that he could never take back. Even worse than that, Dylan was his employee and crossing that line could cause issues for them. Sure, Ange was his employee as well but they’d been friends forever. The workplace ethics were blurred since they had known each other for so long. Dylan was different than Ange and he didn’t want to mess up the bond they were forming by doing something stupid.

For a moment she said nothing and merely watched him as if she was trying to decipher what he was really up to. Eventually she tilted her head slightly while she gazed up at him, seemly have decided to trust him, at least for now. “And what do you want, Evan?”

He didn’t really know how to voice what he wanted but in his heart Evan knew what it was. More specifically, he knew who he wanted now that his mind was finally clear. Brooke was behind him and Ange helped him see that following his gut instinct and his heart would make him much happier in the long run. Meeting her eyes, Evan suddenly felt nervous, as if this was the wrong move but deep down he knew that he needed to trust his instincts. His instincts had led him to telling Ange what he felt and her explaining why this would never work. Now he just needed to trust himself. “I want you, Dylan.”

It seemed as though the world came to a screeching halt the moment the words left his lips but it was too late to take them back. Everything faded away as Evan watched Dylan’s face for any reaction to his admission. It was only a second or two but for him it seemed like an eternity before a slow smile spread across Dylan’s face. It could only be a good sign or at least that was how Evan saw it. “Me?” Dylan’s questioning tone was hesitant but he could hear the tiny bit of timid hope in her voice. It was almost as if she didn’t want to believe that he was really saying this.

Nodding slightly, Evan smiled and fought back the urge to kiss her softly. He made sure he was looking down right into her eyes before speaking again. “You, Dylan. You are the reason I was able to put Brooke’s death finally behind me. I was just too blind to realize it before now.” He had really been blind and stupid not to trust his instincts instead of doing what he thought he owed to both himself and Ange but that was the past now. It wasn’t something he needed to worry about when he had finally put the past where it belonged.

For a moment she just sat there with a mute expression on her face and he couldn’t figure out what could possibly be running through her mind. He even thought that he had upset her and was on the brink of starting to apologize when she finally did speak, much to his relief. “What are you trying to say, Evan? I mean…this is all wonderful but what about Ange? Have you talked to her about any of this?”

Meeting her gaze, Evan nodded. “Ange and I are over, Dylan. We never should have started since we work much better as friends.” He continued to watch her face for any reactions before continuing. There was nothing Evan wanted more than to make that fact perfectly clear for Dylan. “I want to take a chance with you. That’s what I really want. It’s what I wanted even when I was too blind to actually see it.” A soft sigh fell from his lips before he could continue explaining himself. “I want to try things between us, but that is if you want that too.” He hoped that she did and that all the signs had not merely been mixed signals. That would have been a heartbreaking thing and he had already suffered enough heartbreak in his life.

She seemed almost stunned for a moment while everything he had just said mulled over in her mind. However, a small smile eventually formed on her lips as he watched her. “Are you sure about this stuff, Evan? You have put Ange behind you and really want to take this chance? I don’t want you to end up regretting anything.”

“The only thing I regret is not realizing how much I cared about you before making things even more complicated. Involving Ange is really the regret I have,” he admitted softly before taking another step towards her. “But I won’t regret anything we do. I could only regret it if I had never really told you what I was feeling.” That much Evan knew to be true. Living in denial for your entire life was painful and he didn’t want anyone to have to suffer with that. Admitting your feelings, faults, and fears were all part of becoming your own person. Not everyone seemed to understand that but Evan did and he felt that Dylan did as well. Tentatively he reached out and lovingly touched the side of Dylan’s face, cupping her cheek in his palm. “Just trust me,” he murmured as she closed her eyes and sighed.

Dylan seemed wary of everything he was saying and Evan really couldn’t blame her. She tilted her head slightly into his touch and that brought a smile to his face before her eyes fluttered open again. “I do trust you, Evan. Would I be chasing after dinosaurs with you if I didn’t?”

Pulling his hand away, Evan chuckled. “Good to know because if you want to, I think we can make this work.” He really hoped that he was right about that. After everything having their relationship fall apart because of petty things was not very appealing. “Do you want to try?”

For a moment Dylan was silent before she nodded. “We can try this,” she said softly. “If things don’t work then no hard feelings, right?” Evan couldn’t help but smile at the way she managed to find the right way for them to go about trying something new.

“Perfect,” he replied with a nod before leaning in and lightly kissing her once. It was a chaste kiss that barely lasted a few seconds but he hadn’t really been able to stop himself. When he pulled back and looked into her eyes, Dylan smiled. Instantly he was reassured and that was all he needed. Things between them were still experimental but at least they were taking the chance. It made him happy to know that finally the past was where it belonged and now, Dylan was his future. Neither one of them really knew what was in store for them but it seemed that no matter what happened they would be in this together.


End file.
